SCOTCH

Every so often a new whisky will come around generating a lot of buzz. As much as I enjoy trying new bourbons and scotch, I tend to stick with a select handful to keep on my shelf. However, after several recommendations from store owners and managers to give Monkey Shoulder a try, I decided it would make for a great blind tasting night with the Society. The Nose: Monkey Shoulder has a very gentle nose. Notes of malt chocolate and vanilla presented themselves. Though not incredibly complex, it was certainly inviting. The Pallet: Vanilla was greatly reinforced. It is also quite malty and sweet. Overall, the taste was a bit generic. Notes of peat were not to be found in

Glenmorangie was the very first distillery I ever toured. My wife and I were living in Scotland at the time and I had only recently been introduced to Scotch. It was incredible getting to meet some of “the sixteen men of Tain” and behold the tallest stills in Scotland. Since then, Glenmorangie 10 Year Original has been a staple single malt in our house. So how did it fare at a Society blind tasting? The Nose: Nearly everyone at the tasting agreed that Glenmorangie has a very “clean” nose. Notes of citrus, lemon, and sweet pear came through initially. After a while, notes of vanilla and honeysuckle made themselves known. There was no harsh burn which everyone appreciated. The Pallet:

The Macallen brand takes pride in its rich Scottish history. With a classic estate in the Speyside district, they boast smaller stills which makes their scotch have a profoundly unique taste. These small stills allow for more liquid to come into contact with the copper, giving it a fruity, full-bodied flavour. The Macallen stills are so renown that they have appeared on Bank of Scotland banknotes. The barrels that Macallen 12 year use help define the brand as a whole. They boast in spending the most money of all the distillers on their casks. All this in order to have the best choice, color, and flavor that goes into their whisky. They specifically choose the best Spanish Sherry casks, to aid